A crewmember working on the Late Show With David Letterman has been fired after allegedly attacking one of the programme's writers. Tony Mendez held cue-cards for the long-running chat show, but was dismissed following an alleged on-set brawl with Bill Scheft, an Emmy-nominated writer, on 9 October (14).
Mendez claims the incident was sparked when light-hearted banter turned nasty, telling the New York Post, "We (Letterman and Mendez) tell each other 'F**k you' and 'Hey a**hole.' He (Letterman) doesn't do that with anybody - but he feels comfortable with me... I realised that this is what Bill was doing. He was trying to create a wedge between us so Dave would think I was an a**hole. I just grabbed him by the shirt. He was very surprised. He didn't say a word. He was cowering, his eyes were real big, he probably peed a little bit on his pants."
Mendez admits he was wrong, explaining, "I know I shouldn't have put my hands on him but this has been coming for a long time."
He adds of his former boss Letterman, "Dave had nothing to do with this at all. He was oblivious to my problem with Bill Scheft... Dave has never let me down. He is the best, the most generous boss I have ever had. Dave would never do anything to harm me."

"Confound it!" groused an embittered Christian Bale the morning after the 85th Annual Academy Awards. "Why wasn't I in Argo?"
It's a sentiment a lot of actors must have endured — resentment on not having been a part of the Hollywood love letter that nabbed the Best Picture Oscar and thrilled audiences nationwide. But Bale seems to have really taken this missed opportunity to heart. So much so that he's kind of actually still trying to be in Argo. That is, a movie that seems remarkably like Argo: Abscam.
The officially untitled David O. Russell project, shooting now in Boston, has a good deal of similarities to Ben Affleck's hit. The plot centers on an FBI sting operation (to Argo's CIA hostage rescue operation) in the late 1970s/early '80s (same as Argo) with the corruption of the American government a thematic forefront (same as Argo) and a whole lot of regrettable haircuts (same as Argo). You can witness one of these haircuts atop the dome of Bale in these new images from the Abscam (which, much like argo, is a short, catchy, but confusing disyllabic non-word starting with the letter a), wherein he kicks up the creep factor in talking to and walking away from costar Amy Adams.
So what do you think, Argo fans? Can Abscam live up to the grandeur of the BP winner? Does Bale have what it takes to rival Affleck's Tony Mendez? Can the suits really get any tackier? Keep watch to find out!
Follow Michael Arbeiter on Twitter @MichaelArbeiter
[Photo Credit: Jayme Oak/INFphoto (2)]
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With each outing in his evolving filmmaking career actor-turned-director Ben Affleck has amped up the scope. Gone Baby Gone was a character drama woven into a hard-boiled mystery. The Town saw Affleck dabble in action pulling off bank heists many compared to the expertise of Heat. In Argo the director pulls off his most daring effort melding one part caper comedy and two parts edge-of-your-seat political thriller into an exhilarating theatrical experience.
At the height of the Iranian Revolution in 1979 anti-Shah militants stormed the U.S. embassy and captured 52 American hostages. Six managed to escape the raid finding refuge in the Canadian ambassador's home. Within hours the militants began a search for the missing Americans sifting through shredded paperwork for even the smallest bit of evidence. Under pressure by the ticking clock the CIA worked quickly to formulate a plan to covertly rescue the six embassy workers. Despite a lengthy list of possibilities only Tony Mendez (Affleck) had a plan just enticing enough to unsuspecting Iranian officials to work: the CIA would fake a Hollywood movie shoot.
There's nothing in Argo or Affleck's portrayal of Mendez that would tell you the technical operations officer has the imagination to conjure his master plan — Affleck perhaps to differentiate himself from the past plays his character with so much restraint he looks dead in the eyes — but when the Hollywood hijinks swing into full motion so does Argo. Mendez hooks up with Planet of the Apes makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) to convince all of Hollywood that their sci-fi blockbuster "Argo " is readying for production. With enough promotional material concept art and press coverage Mendez and his team can convince the Iranian government they're a legit operation. A location scout in Tehran will be their method of extracting the bunkered down escapees.
Without an interesting lead to draw us in Affleck lets his eclectic ensemble do the heavy lifting. For the most part it works. Argo is basically two movies — Goodman and Arkin lead the Ocean's 11-esque half and Affleck takes the reigns when its time to get the six — another who's who of character actors including Tate Donovan Clea Duvall Scoot McNairy and Rory Cochrane — through the terrifying security of the Iranian airport. Arkin steals the show as a fast talking Hollywood type complete with year-winning catchphrase ("ArGo f**k yourself!) while McNairy adds a little more humanity to the spy mission when his character butts heads with Mendez. The split lessens the impact of each section but the tension in the escape is so high so taut that there's never a moment to check out.
Reality is on Affleck's side his camera floating through crowds of protestors and the streets of Tehran — a warscape where anything can happen. Each angle he chooses heightens the terror which starts to close in on the covert escape as they drift further and further from their homebase. Argo is a complete package with the '70s production design knowing when to play goofy (the fake movie's wild sci-fi designs) and when to remind us that problems took eight more steps to fix then they do today. Alexandre Desplat's score finds balance in haunting melodies and energetic pulses.
Part of Argo's charm is just how unreal the entire operation really was. To see the men and women involved go through with a plan they know could result in death. It's a suspenseful adventure and while there's not much in the way of character to cling to the visceral experience tends to be enough.
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There's an allure to imperfection. With his latest drama Lawless director John Hillcoat taps directly into the side of human nature that draws us to it. Hillcoat finds it in Prohibition history a time when the regulations of alcohol consumption were subverted by most of the population; He finds it in the rural landscapes of Virginia: dingy raw and mesmerizing. And most importantly he finds it in his main character Jack Bondurant (Shia LaBeouf) the scrappy third brother of a moonshining family who is desperate to prove his worth. Jack forcefully injects himself into the family business only to discover there's an underbelly to the underbelly. Lawless is a beautiful film that's violent as hell striking in a way only unfiltered Americana could be.
Acting as the driver for his two outlaw brothers Forrest (Tom Hardy) and Howard (Jason Clarke) isn't enough for Jack. He's enticed by the power of the gangster figure and entranced by what moonshine money can buy. So like any fledgling entrepreneur Jack takes matters into his own hands. Recruiting crippled family friend/distillery mastermind Cricket (Dane DeHaan) the young whippersnapper sets out to brew his own batch sell it to top dog Floyd Banner and make the family rich. The plan works — but it puts the Bondurant boys in over their heads with a new threat: the corrupt law enforcers of Chicago.
Unlike many stories of crime life Lawless isn't about escalation. The movie drifts back and forth leisurely popping in moments like the beats of a great TV episode. One second the Bondurants could be talking shop with their female shopkeep Maggie Beauford (Jessica Chastain). The next Forrest is beating the bloody pulp out of a cop blackmailing their operation. The plot isn't thick; Hillcoat and screenwriter Nick Cave preferring to bask in the landscapes the quiet moments the haunting terror that comes with a life on the other side of the tracks. A feature film doesn't offer enough time for Lawless to build — it recalls cinema-level TV currently playing on outlets like HBO and AMC that have truly spoiled us — but what the duo accomplish is engrossing.
Accompanying the glowing visuals and Cave's knockout workout on the music side (a toe-tapping mix of spirituals bluegrass and the writer/musician's spine-tingling violin) are muted performances from some of Hollywood's rising stars. Despite LaBeouf's off-screen antics he lights up Lawless and nails the in-deep whippersnapper. His playful relationship with a local religious girl (Mia Wasikowska) solidifies him as a leading man but like everything in the movie you want more. Tom Hardy is one of the few performers who can "uurrr" and "mmmnerm" his way through a scene and come out on top. His greatest sparring partner isn't a hulking thug but Chastain who brings out the heart of the impenetrable beast. The real gem of Lawless is Guy Pearce as the Bondurant trio's biggest threat. Shaved eyebrows pristine city clothes and a temper like a rabid wolverine Pearce's Charlie Rakes is the most frightening villain of 2012. He viciously chews up every moment he's on screen. That's even before he starts drawing blood.
Lawless is the perfect movie for the late August haze — not quite the Oscary prestige picture or the summertime shoot-'em-up. It's drama that has its moonshine and swigs it too. Just don't drink too much.
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Theatrics slapstick and cheer are cinematic qualities you rarely find outside the realm of animation. Disney perfected it with their pantheon of cartoon classics mixing music humor spectacle and light-hearted drama that swept up children while still capturing the imaginations and hearts of their parents. But these days even reinterpretations of fairy tales get the gritty make-over leaving little room for silliness and unfiltered glee. Emerging through that dark cloud is Mirror Mirror a film that achieves every bit of imagination crafted by its two-dimensional predecessors and then some. Under the eye of master visualist Tarsem Singh (The Fall Immortals) Mirror Mirror's heightened realism imbues it with the power to pull off anything — and the movie never skimps on the anything.
Like its animated counterparts Mirror Mirror stays faithful to its source material but twists it just enough to feel unique. When Snow White (Lily Collins) was a little girl her father the King ventured into a nearby dark forest to do battle with an evil creature and was never seen or heard from again. The kingdom was inherited by The Queen (Julia Roberts) Snow's evil stepmother and the fair-skinned beauty lived locked up in the castle until her 18th birthday. Grown up and tired of her wicked parental substitute White sneaks out of the castle to the village for the first time. There she witnesses the economic horrors The Queen has imposed upon the people of her land all to fuel her expensive beautification. Along the way Snow also meets Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) who is suffering from his own money troubles — mainly being robbed by a band of stilt-wearing dwarves. When the Queen catches wind of the secret excursion she casts Snow out of the castle to be murdered by her assistant Brighton (Nathan Lane).
Fairy tales take flack for rejecting the idea of women being capable but even with its flighty presentation and dedication to the old school Disney method Mirror Mirror empowers its Snow White in a genuine way thanks to Collins' snappy charming performance. After being set free by Brighton Snow crosses paths with the thieving dwarves and quickly takes a role on their pilfering team (which she helps turn in to a Robin Hooding business). Tarsem wisely mines a spectrum of personalities out of the seven dwarves instead of simply playing them for one note comedy. Sure there's plenty of slapstick and pun humor (purposefully and wonderfully corny) but each member of the septet stands out as a warm compassionate companion to Snow even in the fantasy world.
Mirror Mirror is richly designed and executed in true Tarsem-fashion with breathtaking costumes (everything from ball gowns to the dwarf expando-stilts to ridiculous pirate ship hats with working canons) whimsical sets and a pitch-perfect score by Disney-mainstay Alan Menken. The world is a storybook and even its monsters look like illustrations rather than photo-real creations. But what makes it all click is the actors. Collins holds her own against the legendary Julia Roberts who relishes in the fun she's having playing someone despicable. She delivers every word with playful bite and her rapport with Lane is off-the-wall fun. Armie Hammer riffs on his own Prince Charming physique as Alcott. The only real misgiving of the film is the undercooked relationship between him and Snow. We know they'll get together but the journey's half the fun and Mirror Mirror serves that portion undercooked.
Children will swoon for Mirror Mirror but there's plenty here for adults — dialogue peppered with sharp wisecracks and a visual style ripped from an elegant tapestry. The movie wears its heart on its sleeve and rarely do we get a picture where both the heart and the sleeve feel truly magical.
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All right, Affleck. I think we're beginning to mend our differences. I thought the subject matter of the director’s upcoming Argo might be beyond his artistic capacity. Then I criticized him for casting himself in yet another hero position. But if a major role does indeed fall into Bryan Cranston's hands, I will swallow my pride and go on the record as being officially and completely on board with this movie.
Cranston—the legendary star of Breaking Bad, the only television show that actually gives me heart palpitations—is reportedly a very likely candidate for CIA Agent Jack O’Donnell, playing opposite Affleck’s Agent Tony Mendez.
The film is a real-life adaptation of a 1970s CIA hostage-rescue operation, and it's attracted the formidable acting talents of Alan Arkin and John Goodman. They alone could make this a should-see movie, but with Cranston, whose brilliance gets far too little attention, America could be in for one of the biggest and most surprising thrills in cinema.
Cranston—probably better associated with his patriarchal Malcolm in the Middle role, will also appear in the Tom Hanks movie Larry Crowne opening this Friday, playing the dean of the college that Hanks’ character attends. Having proven that he is more than capable at comedy and dangerously outstanding at dramatic acting, I would stake my hopes in any project that signs him. So, let’s hope Argo nabs him.
Source: Comingsoon

Chilean miner Edison Pena performed some Elvis for David Letterman. A translator was there to keep the conversation going, since Letterman doesn’t speak Spanish and Pena doesn’t speak English, and it was pretty awesome to watch their exchange about how he went to the bathroom way down in the mine.
Up until this very point, I thought the person on the cover of the November issue of Vogue was Eva Mendez. But last night, Jay Leno whipped out a copy of it and applauded Anne Hathaway for it. I suppose it’s my fault. I should have realized it was her by the bi-line, which said “Anne Hathaway: I’m too trusting.” She told Leno about what it was like to go to Paris to shoot the cover, and how annoying it was to be in Paris while on a diet. Perhaps she'd rather be a miner?
Dr. Phil was on Jimmy Fallon last night and told Fallon how one time, Oprah shaved off his mustache and it was so terrible. Clearly he bought himself a leather jacket to help him recuperate.
Jon Stewart and his crew talked about Obama’s reaction to the election results, after his party drew the shortest straw and had were forced to go back to using the suspicious plant to complete their hygienic routines.
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And David Sedaris sat down for a quick chat with Stewart about his new book, “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk.” It’s a compilation of fables that are told with animals, which sounds great, but I’d much rather read about what would happen if you put David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs in a freight elevator that’s stuck between floors 5 and 6.
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And Stephen Colbert did his segment, “Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger” about how the TSA now is taking pictures of our naked bodies using machines that scan through our clothes to check us for weapons, and how Bert of Sesame Street seems to be finally coming to grips with his sexuality.
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